AI Responsible Use Policy Template

This template creates an internal governance document, not a legal contract. However, the commitments you make (especially in transparency and data usage) should align with your public privacy policy and terms of service. Have your legal team review the final policy to ensure consistency with external commitments and applicable AI regulations like the [EU AI Act](/glossary/prioritization).

A company-wide ethics policy sets principles. This template sets operational requirements for a specific product. Think of ethics principles as the constitution and this policy as the law. The policy translates abstract principles like "we are committed to fairness" into measurable thresholds, specific procedures, and named owners.

The policy still applies. You are responsible for how AI affects your users, regardless of who built the model. The acceptable use, transparency, bias monitoring, and incident response sections apply equally to third-party models. Add a section on vendor management that documents the provider's safety commitments and your contractual rights to audit.

Enforcement happens at three levels. Pre-launch: the policy checklist is part of the launch review. Runtime: monitoring and alerting detect violations automatically. Post-incident: the review process identifies gaps and updates the policy. Assign a named owner for each section who is accountable for compliance.

Consider publishing a user-facing version that covers transparency, data usage, and user rights. Keep the internal operational details (incident response, bias thresholds, model specifics) internal. A public-facing responsible AI page builds user trust and demonstrates accountability.